Diaz vs Penn are fighting next weekend but the winner probabally wouldnt be offered a title shot for 5 months or so, they probabally will take a fight in that time so who you think is in the mix?

Jake Ellenberger pretty much diserves a shot, he is fighting Diego "gave up on being in shape" Sanchez. Sanchez lost pretty badly to Kampmann (no matter what the judges saw) Ellenberger is huge compared to him, trading shots wont work. Wrestling wont work. If Jake wins this he should get a chance at Diaz/Penn winner

Rory MacDonnald is a massive kid, taller and rangier than GSP if he had of laster a few more seconds he would have beat Carlos Condit too. Diaz and Pyle back to back wins and taking on top 15 ranked Brian Ebersole Id put him 1 win away from a shot. I reckon if he wins, Kos or Fitch would be the test for him in a number 1 contenders fight, as long as Tristar dont have the no fighting teammates think if GSP is champ I reckon he could get a shot by 2013.

Id like Kampmann to fight Shields again as well. He got Robbed against Diego and his lostt to Shields was a SD. He is due some luck!

Forgot Kampmann is fighting Story, Wow thats going to be a great one! Fitch and Kos are going to be two great gatekeepers, I dont think UFC wants either of them to fight GSP again so if he is champ I see the winner of this fight getting a crack at one of them.

Obviously that can all change within a fight or two. I think Kos will move up to middleweight there is no way they'll let him fight GSP for a third time. Fitch could potentially beat all the guys listed above but he's no favourite of the UFC, and didn't make too much of a fight out of his title shot. he'll prbably have to win another 4/5 on the bounce to get close again.

I agree Fitch is the best challenger but the UFC just won't give him a shot. He gets one average result (a draw against BJ) and he's right down the rankings fighting Johnny Hendricks. BJ coming off two losses and a draw finds himself in the next main event. It's like I said above, he could probably beat all the guys I listed but the UFC make him work four times as hard.

Rory is over-rated right now. He's very talented but Diaz is a LW and Pyle's not great. Other than those two, his wins are against a bunch of nobodies. He's got a lot of work to do on his striking and his bottom game.

He will become a top level fighter, but right now he's a long way off. Beating Ebersole won't elevate him either. Ebersole is a journeyman. Not sure how Ben classifies a guy like that as top 15. Both these guys are AT LEAST three wins from a title shot AFTER this fight.

Ellenberger looks like he could be a real challenge IMO, he might have the best chance of beating GSP. He's a good wrestler with good striking and scary power. Undefeated in 5 and IMO he was very unlucky to lose the decision to Condit. He should have won that fight. He's had a couple of poor performances and some bad losses but that's part of the learning experiences. I see him Koing Sanchez and then he might get a title shot straight or face the winner of Diaz vs BJ. I can see him winning that fight.

Sheldan wrote:I'm still not convinced on Ellenberger, I still have his performance against Rocha in mind.

Same mate, I think Jake Shields was very badly affected by the death of his father and Ellenberger just caught him cold. Fair play to him it was a great win, but I think he needs a fight against someone like Koshcheck or Fitch to really prove himself.

Have to agree. When someone wins a fight that quick it's really impossible to judge them too deeply. Especially given the circumstances. Shields should not have been fighting. I know he said he was doing it for his dad, but he was in no state to fight and Ellenberger caught him completely cold. It was an excellent finish by Ellenberger but it doesn't really prove anything too meaningful IMO.

Him vs Kos could be interesting but I'd like to see him against Rumble next.

ChelseaQuinsfan wrote:I agree it's hard to judge Ellenberger on the Shields fight alone, but he's impressed before then as well IMO.

Sheldan: Ye it was a bad performance, but Rocha is a good fighter. Was undefeated and a top grappler.

It's not so much how Rocha dominated Ellenberger on the ground, but how he essentially completely neutralized Ellenbergers striking in the third. Rocha just kept him at distance with kicks and made him look incredibly limited.

ChelseaQuinsfan wrote:I agree it's hard to judge Ellenberger on the Shields fight alone, but he's impressed before then as well IMO.

Sheldan: Ye it was a bad performance, but Rocha is a good fighter. Was undefeated and a top grappler.

It's not so much how Rocha dominated Ellenberger on the ground, but how he essentially completely neutralized Ellenbergers striking in the third. Rocha just kept him at distance with kicks and made him look incredibly limited.

I agree on that in Ellenberger's though defence maybe he was unmotivated after losing out on the Fitch fight and completely underestimated him, Either way Jake showed a lot of holes in that fight.